Marcel Burger - Third time's the charm

Lake Czorsztyn in the far south of Poland is known for its castles and its mystical views of the Tatra Mountains a bit further south. The lake is man-made, bottle-necked by a dam that was finished in 1995 to prevent floods in the downstream valley of the Dunajec river. The dam and lake have increased the area as a tourist magnet. It's two castles, one a ruin, the other in great restored shape, look extra attractive with the water at their feet. My initial February series, the start of this gallery, I have enriched with a great October 2024 visit. Scroll down further to see the autumn sunrise on the banks of Lake Czorsztyn, and to see hundreds of sheep coming up the hill.

Winter Series (February)

Sunset view of the Tatra mountains from Sromowce Wyżne.

Niedzica Castle.

Niedzica Castle in the foreground, with the ruins of Czorsztyn Castle on the other side of the lake.

Sromowce Wyżne.

View to the west over lake Czorsztyn.

Autumn series (October): Sunrise

05:52 on a Mid-October morning. The sun rises, and shines its first light on the Czorsztyn valley towards the charateristic Tatra Mountains in the south. The lake itself is covered in fog, of which the higher fog clouds are visible at the bottom of this photo.

The moon almost perfectly round, reluctant to leave the scene.

The warm sunlight catches the contours of the Tatras and the tree covered lower hills north of it.

06:46 on this October morning, the fog from Lake Czorsztyn is moving up, while the sun is lighting up its top layers and the nearby landscape.

After 7:30 on this October morning, the fog from the lake creeps even higher up in the lower hills on its southern bank, making the views to the east even more mysterious as before.

Traditional sheep grazing in the Małopolska region

Even though modern life is very much present, the southern parts of the Małopolska province are known for their traditional ways of living. Here, one can still encounter herds of grazing sheep on mountain pastures. The banks of Lake Czorsztyn are no exception, and even without the animals present, their walkabout areas are easy to spot: nicely, naturally cut hilly fields.

The centuries-old tradition of sheep herding is kept very much alive, and sheep are the source of milk used for "oscypek", a special smoked cheese that comes in different types and forms. It is believed only 150 people are certified to make this cheese, and its special taste attracts locals and tourists alike.

When the days get shorter and the temperatures lower, the end of the sheep herding season is celebrated with the Redyk. The shepherds dress up in their traditional outfits of the Górala people of Southern Poland, and the sheep dress up in - well - their regular fluffy outer layer. Together they march down to the sheep farms in the valleys, a parade of 1,000 to 2,000 sheep.

On the day of the 2024 Redyk in the village of Czorsztyn, I was up on the hill and could hear the bells of the sheep down below. The tinkling grew louder and louder. All of a sudden the first line of grazing sheep came over the lower ridge, and then another, and another. Hundreds flocked the area where I had taken up position to watch the sunrise over the landscape (scroll up to see the series). They came, they grazed and then they moved down. Half an hour later all sheep were gone, but the amazement of this spectacle stayed within me.

The shepherd and his sheep, the fog covered Lake Czorsztyn and the pointy Tatra Mountains in the background. A photo more typical of the southern parts of the Małopolska province is hardly possible.